My Hairline is Receding But My Hair is Very Thick'

Name: Pat

Question: I have very thick hair and curly. I used to have a a straight hairline but as i matured my hairline has scaled back into the more common M shape. My family on both sides doesn’t have history of male patterned baldness however I am slightly worries. Again my hair is very thick and I am 20.

Answer: Hi, Pat. If the hair loss is only affecting your hairline it may simply be a maturing hairline, as you mention. However if it is forming an increasingly pronounced widow's peak, it does sound likely that this is genetic receding.

A receding hairline is generally caused by androgenetic alopecia which can present even if neither of your parents or siblings are affected. This is because it is not always the case that the 'balding gene' is active in everyone who carries it. Male Pattern Baldness can be passed on from either side of the family without your parents or other close relatives showing any of the associated signs of hair loss if the relevant genes are dormant. If these become active - which can be triggered by a number of factors including stress or an underlying health concern, or simply through bad luck given whether male hair loss occurs or not is something of a genetic lottery - then the hair will start thinning.

Although this hair thinning is restricted to the top of the head only in cases of Male Pattern Baldness, it does not necessarily mean that you will have all the associated patterns of hair loss. It is possible to have a receding hairline but no signs of general thinning on top, or vice versa, for example. As you are only starting to notice hair loss now, it is also possible that you may develop further thinning in other areas over the years as the condition progresses if left unchecked.

Treatment for a receding hairline can be effective and can make use of one or, often both, of the only MHRA licensed and FDA approved medications for male pattern baldness. The oral DHT-inhibitor finasteride 1mg is a DHT-blocker, tackling the underlying follicular miniaturisation responsible for a receding hairline developing, however as its effects on frontal hairloss are unproven, specialists often recommend formulations of topical high strength minoxidil to promote hair growth.

The earlier the condition is diagnosed and treatment is started, the better the results tend to be. As you are 20 it sounds as if you have spotted this early on so are at the best possible starting point to gather information and professional hair loss advice so you can decide which path to follow.